Samsung PC line built for Win 8's cross-format approach

Although Samsung makes a variety of products, among the most popular is its Galaxy line of smart phones and tablets, which are some of the most innovative on the market.

Now Samsung wants to expand its success in mobile devices to PCs. The company has announced a full line of all-in-one desktops and powerful laptops optimized for Windows 8. The PCs are designed to blur the lines between tablet mobility and desktop performance.

"The launch of Windows 8 provides an inflection point in the evolution of the PC,” and Samsung wants to go to “the next level by connecting the PC to other devices in the home or office through our convergence technology, Samsung AllShare Play," said Mike Abary, senior vice president of consumer IT product marketing at Samsung Electronics America.

Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro 700T: With an Intel Core i5 processor, the Smart PC Pro 700T is designed for on-the-go professionals. Like the 500T, the Pro 700T can easily switch between a clamshell and tablet form factor. Pictured above. The MSRP is $1,199.

Samsung Series 5 Ultra Touch: This is Samsung's first ultrabook with a 10-finger multi-touchscreen. It features an Intel Core i3 or i5 processor, premium multimedia capabilities, a high-definition screen and an ergonomic design. The price is $810 for a unit with an i3 processor or $860 with an i5.

Samsung Series 7 Notebook: Featuring an Intel Core processor and an aluminum shell, the Samsung Series 7 Notebook also includes an ultra-thin LED-backlit LCD screen, making it one of the thinnest and brightest quad-core PCs on the market. Prices for the Series 7 begin at $1,099.

Samsung Series 9 Premium Ultrabook: Featuring one of the thinnest, lightest laptop form factors ever introduced, this high-end unit starts at $1,299.

All of the new Samsung computers can interact with each other through Samsung AllShare Play, a program that helps to fully integrate the PC into any home or office network. Users can easily share content between their all-in-one and other Samsung devices on the same network. They can showcase photos from their phone to the larger all-in-one display or share a document drafted on the all-in-one with a tablet and continue editing while on the road.

Samsung's new PCs also feature S Manager for the latest software and drivers. Included within S Manager is Samsung's Quick Starter feature, which adds a toolbar and start button to the Windows 8 interface. This provides users with a choice of interface and offers a familiar navigation scheme. In addition, S Manager includes AllShare Play for seamless convergence across devices.

The ATIV Smart PC Pro devices are preloaded with S Pen optimized apps such as S Note, S Memo and S Cloud, allowing users to fully capitalize on the S Pen that ships embedded in a slot on the device. With 1,024 levels of sensitivity, the S Pen offers features including handwriting to text conversion and varying thickness when drawing or writing, depending on the pressure applied.